Wednesday, December 12, 2007

POLITICAL ACTIVISTS DOING "THE WAVE"

If you're a sports fan, you know about -- and probably have participated -- in something called "The Wave." It's a sports phenomenon that has significant political implications.

The Wave occurs when people throughout the stadium – section by section -- stand up and raise their arms. The effect is to make tens of thousands of people behave in a way that resembles the rise and fall of an ocean wave.

It sounds like an exercise in silliness, but increasingly researchers studying human behavior and leaders have studied The Wave. They believe that it exemplifies a situation where the actions of the few – the people who start The Wave – end up influencing the behavior of the many – nearly everyone else.

To perceptive researchers, that sounds suspiciously like something similar to management and leadership. In fact, The Wave is a metaphor for those things.

Leadership -- in society, business, and politics -- means getting people to act spontaneously to influence others. It also means having them work in concert to achieve an end.

The Wave occurs because people want to do something that helps the home team win. In politics, “the home team” is a candidate who wants to win and needs popular support to do so.

The Wave occurs when a few people start a movement. Quickly, people throughout the stadium being reacting in the same way – and influencing the actions of others near them. Soon, the people throughout a stadium are moving in unison.

Recently, I’ve written about a number of “wave-makers” who are assisting in the Russell Campaign. One of them is Pennsylvanian Melanie, a highly social and insightful restaurant worker.

There's also Cindy in New Mexico, who posts on the extremely popular site named ThePinkFlamingo. She's a professional writer who has a huge following and is directing many people to Russell's web site.

Another one is "Samantha West," a businesswoman who lives in Texas and is vigorously raising funds for Russell. Also, there’s “Jenn of the Jungle,” a Californian with a popular show on BlogTalkRadio and someone who recently interviewed William Russell. Douglas Gibbs of Political Pistachio radio has strongly supported Russell and had him on his show. As you've probably noticed, I'm a Pennsylvanian trying to "Make Waves for Russell."

Another extremely important figure in the Russell camp is Brad Marston from Massachusetts. He’s devoting most of his current energy to supporting John McCain’s effort to win the Republican presidential nomination – but he’s also a solid supporter of Russell.

The following is an e-mail Brad recently sent to "1,000 of his closest (political) friends":

"Political muscle is built by talking to one person at a time. That is why I am reaching out to you today. This e-mail is going out to over 1000 people because I talked to 10 people who in turn, talked to ten more people. Help us make it 10,000 people simply by forwarding it on to your friends, family and contacts."

"So, 'What have you done today to make you feel proud?' It is a line from one of my favorite songs, 'Proud.' Another lyric is 'We need a change...Do it today...I can feel my spirit rising!' I think that says it perfectly. We do need a change."

"To make it happen, we need you to JOIN US ! We need you to DONATE , whether it be time, talent money or some combination thereof! Let's all end each day knowing 'I did something for the future of this nation I love so much. I did what I could to elect John McCain and I am proud of that.' If you can do that, I would be both proud and grateful. And so will the hundreds, perhaps thousands more who join us."

Brad started small – like “The Wave” – but has quickly built a strong base of support for his candidates. His e-mail above has gone to 1,000 people. He’s asking each of the recipients to contact at least ten friends and political allies. In fact, I’m doing just that in this column.

Do you want to change the political outlook? If so, you need to emulate people like Brad, Melanie, Samantha, Cindy, Jenn, Douglas, and others. Someone like Brad is potentially influencing the votes – and contributions – of tens of thousands of people.

And that translates into real political clout!

Note: If you'd like to joinBloggers 4 Russell, please either leave a comment or send me an e-mail at: TalkTop65@aol.com. Thanks!

Brad is a bundle of energy and the great thing is how he energizes others to do the same. He's one of the great "finds" for any candidate, especially ones with the character of a McCain or a Russell. All the best you "MinuteMan" and all the McCain-iacs out there.

About Me

Steve Maloney is a political activist and writer living in Western Pennsylvania (Ambridge, Beaver County). I've taught English and American literature (and writing) at Wm. & Mary and the University of Georgia. I've worked as a speechwriter for many huge companies -- Phillips Petroleum, Gulf Oil, USX (U.S. Steel), Aetna, Merck, Lilly, and many others. I've written two books and am engaged in writing two others. I live now in an old "mill town" (the kind Obama called "bitter") in Beaver County, 15 miles from Pittsburgh. I love it here. My main activity in 2010 will be to take every step necessary to help Republicans win back the House . . . and to add six or more US Senate seats. First things first: after the Nov. election, we can focus on winning back the presidency. I will be working directly with as many as 20 candidates for federal office. You can e-mail me at: TalkTop65@aol.com. God bless you all.